Elephants top list of problem animals killed

Fifty-two wild animals, including 34 elephants, have been killed north of Etosha National Park over the past three years after being declared a threat to people, livestock or property.

Environment and tourism minister Indileni Daniel said 12 lions and six leopards were also destroyed as problem animals in the area.

She told parliament the animals were removed after specific incidents, to prevent and reduce human-wildlife conflict.

Daniel said the aim of declaring and removing a problem animal was to protect people.

“We don't want these wild animals to cause the problem with humans,” Daniel said.

But she said the animals were not always to blame.

"Sometimes the problem is not the animals but the people," she said, adding that Namibia should focus on managing the conflict so that people and wildlife can coexist.

Addressing questions on wildlife movements and the impact of the Etosha fires, Daniel said there was no mass displacement of wildlife from the park following the fires.

She said approximately 38% of Etosha National Park burned in 2025, but animals remained within the park because sufficient and suitable habitat remained available.

According to Daniel, the timing of the fires, which occurred shortly before the first rains, also allowed vegetation in the affected areas to recover quickly.

Daniel also addressed the recent killing of an elephant in the Omusati Region. She said it was one of about 300 elephants living outside Etosha, mostly in the north.

Officials followed the animal's movements and confirmed it did not come from Etosha, she said. The ministry uses tracking systems, but not every elephant wears a collar, including this one.

Daniel said the elephant had become separated from its herd and moved into an area between densely populated villages. It began behaving aggressively, she said, posing a serious risk to people and property.

The minister rejected suggestions that the elephant could have been driven back into Etosha.

"An elephant, especially a solitary animal, is not an animal that you can drive straight in one way to go where you want it to go," she said.

Daniel warned that forcing the animal in a particular direction could make it more aggressive and worsen the situation. She also said moving an elephant would be very costly.